Origin Pharma targets £30 million turnover in 2026 while maintaining family values and Yorkshire heritage
Considering its incredible evolution across 63 years, three family generations and a significant global expansion, Origin Pharma Packaging (Origin) has certainly never strayed from its East Yorkshire roots. The UK-based pharmaceutical packaging company, situated in Hull, was founded by current chairman Tim Pocock’s grandfather (Stanley Holmes) in 1963, who was a pharmacist by trade. Stanley was frustrated by the lack of packaging option available to himself and his colleagues, and decided to move into the pharmacy packaging space. Now, the company has grown beyond this industry, offering solutions to the life science, lifestyle, and controlled substance sectors as well.
Market diversity
Origin has maintained family ownership through generational transitions, focusing on the UK market for the first 60 years, before diversifying more recently. Although it has expanded geographically, the company specializes in child resistant packaging solutions for pharmaceutical applications, life sciences, and lifestyle segments. With a portfolio spanning various materials – paper, plastic, aluminum and glass – the group commands a strong market share in pharmaceutical bottles and its readiness to work with a range of materials is a key USP.
Michael McSorley, Managing Director, joins Manufacturing Today to discuss the strategic decisions behind proudly maintaining Yorkshire manufacturing, including doubling clean room facilities and investing in employees. “2025 was our largest year at £25 million, and this year we’re projected for £30 million,” Michael reveals. “Over the last two years, we’ve focused on our ability to execute and commercialize that success.”
To showcase this, Origin has recently had three team members shortlisted for the Women in Packaging Awards 2026, which will take place on 18th June in London. The company has had its Head of Sales, Lorraine Snell, shortlisted in the ‘Sales & Business Development Leader’ category. Furthermore, the Procurement Manager, Nadia Hayes, is shortlisted in the ‘Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence’ category. And finally, the Managing Director, Michael McSorley, has been shortlisted in the ‘Male Ally of the Year’ category.
This acceleration stems from investments in upskilling the team and bringing in talent, infrastructure improvements, and warehouse automation, such as autonomous floorcleaning robots and energy efficient forklifts. In addition, Origin launched its Sydney, Australia location 18 months ago and a further site in Germany opened this year, both holding stock locally.
Offering injection molded products in clean room environments gives Origin a competitive advantage. “There’s fewer than three manufacturers in the UK that have that capability,” Michael elaborates. “It means we can approach brands worldwide and offer them high quality injection molding, therefore guaranteeing product safety and integrity.”
At the end of 2025, the business commissioned a pipette assembly machine, transforming weekly production from hand assembled units to automated units. “Previously, we were making a portion of our pipettes by hand, which limited us to producing 5000 in a week,” Michael explains. “Since automating that process, we can now deliver 300,000 per week. That has given us the opportunity to be more competitive and win larger contracts that we couldn’t have previously serviced.”
Taking on substantial contracts means Origin’s international expansion strategy revolves around four principles: positioning itself as customers’ ‘Packaging Right Hand®,’ collaborative expertise, material and geographic agility, and safety-and-compliance-through-design. “We want to be the client’s packaging right
hand,” Michael acknowledges. “We want to be an extension of their business – not just a supplier.”
Geographic agility is demonstrated through localized manufacturing. “We’re extremely agile regarding where the product is made,” he continues. “Rather than produce it in the UK and then ship it overseas, we will set up a manufacturing site next to where the customer is based. We’re setting up production in Canada presently, which will enable us to service a contract in Canada far more efficiently.” Origin’s localized production strategy also enabled it to deliver rapid market share gains in Australia’s medicinal cannabis sector, with its high quality container becoming known colloquially as ‘the Origin Jar’ among Australian brands.
Environmental awareness is also a crucial element of Origin’s operations and processes. With UK Extended Producer Responsibility legislation now holding brands accountable for product recycling costs, the company places itself as a partner helping brands navigate these regulatory complexities. “Where our product ends up is something we take very seriously,” Michael states. “We see our position as being able to support brands to make a better choice.” However, he recognizes industry tensions. “Being more environmentally friendly means investment. Nobody wants to be less environmentally friendly – but not everybody wants to spend the extra money. As an industry, it’s essential that we work better together.”
Further sustainability initiatives center on onshoring and lightweighting. Over two years, Origin deported production from Far East facilities to the UK. “Although product is cheaper to manufacture in the Far East or India, we brought it back to the UK. The cost is higher but from an environmental point of view, it’s more carbon efficient.” Partnering with the climate action company Carma was a further bid to reduce its environmental impact; Carma’s primary mission is planting trees in the UK and abroad, regenerating forests globally while supporting veterans with meaningful employment. Origin’s collaboration with Carma is intended to help combat the effects of deforestation and restore vital ecosystems, strengthening its commitment to sustainability.
Origin’s service model extends beyond manufacturing, guiding customers through the entire process from design to managing supply chain logistics and end-of-life recycling. “We are not just a packaging manufacturer,” Michael states. “We take a customer from early design, through to prototypes and tooling. Then we manage the supply chain on their behalf. We don’t just want to sell somebody a product – we want to continue working with them. When it reaches the recycling stage, we’re still there to share our expertise. It’s that end-to-end approach.” Origin’s people first approach extends to its 50 strong workforce. “We’re beginning to explore how AI can work in the supply chain, but it’s definitely not about replacing people,” Michael emphasizes. “It’s more about enabling them to spend less time buried in Excel spreadsheets!”
Michael’s priorities balance growth with cultural preservation. “We don’t want to wander too far from our core competency,” he concludes. “We want to grow, but in a sustainable way. We are a people driven business – we’re providing more recruitment opportunities, and we’re open to working with brands who want to join forces with someone a little bit different. Origin is still family owned and it’s important that we maintain the same values we’ve had for over 60 years, namely integrity, humility, responsibility, and innovation. When people come to work for us, they stay for a long time.”
